US job openings fell in November to still-strong 6.9 million

Tuesday, 8 January 2019WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. job openings fell in November from the previous month, but the number of available positions remained healthy. The Labor Department says job openings slipped 3.4 percent to a seasonally adjusted 6.9 million. That is the fewest openings in five months, but still 16 percent higher than a year ago. The job market remains strong despite sharp stock market declines last month, interest rate increases by the Federal Reserve, and a slowing global economy that is also bedeviled by trade fights. Last week's blockbuster jobs report helped assuage concerns about the economy, as it showed that hiring reached a 10-month high in December.

U.S. job openings fell in November, but that will probably do little to change views that the economy is facing a shortage of workers. Job openings, a measure of labor demand, dropped by 243,000 to a seasonally adjusted 6.9 million, the Labor Department said on Tuesday. They hit a record high of 7.3...